MPACT 2013

Take the technology that is a typical distraction for students and put them to educational use.

1. Ideas for iPad use in the classroom

2. A look at assignments created using iPad apps

3. See how easy it is to create templates and assignments for students on iPads.

Participants will engage actively in strategies that link thinking, speaking and writing.  Through group and individual activities, participants will learn and create thoughtful, interactive writing activities to jump start the beginning of the year in any content/elective area!  Participants are encouraged to bring their laptops.

• STAR math administration
• STAR  math reports
• STAA math for instruction

How do we respond when students don’t master the learning objectives?  This session will provide participants a process for planning small group instruction within the Tier 1 lesson cycle.   Participants will engage in the process from setting expectations, to data disaggregation and vertical alignment, ending with re-assessing standards.   While this session will focus on math content, other content area teachers may attend to engage in the framework that may be applied to all content areas.

This session is open exclusively to teachers who have attended the Think Forward PBL Institute.

Come learn some strategies to teach students how to manage projects.  Topics will include scaffolding critical thinking and inquiry, facilitating "Next Steps", and implementing group contracts.

• Reading across the curriculum uses different thought patterns and skills.
• Writing across the curriculum uses different thought patterns and skills.
• Teaching reading text structures across the curriculum can facilitate more effective writing across the curriculum.

• Be more mindful of the structure of the text in their subject materials.
• Be able to point out text structures to students to facilitate understanding and participation.
• Be able to help students use reading text structures to enhance writing in each subject area.
• Be able to require a greater variety of writing assignments in their subject area.

This session will discuss the Curriculum & Instruction Department’s Book Study of Enrique’s Journey by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Sonia Nazario.  This presentation provides implications for teaching immigrant English language learners (ELLs). The second portion of the presentation will embed interactive, reflective practices in the discussion of a secondary ELL student’s journey in search for his mother.

At the conclusion of this session, participants should have a better understanding of secondary ELL’s and their family struggles, narrative qualitative research, and strategies on how to effectively make a difference in an ELL’s life. Participants will leave the training with a personal copy of Enrique’s Journey by Sonia Nazario purchased by the Bilingual/ESL Department.

• Review the ELAR Research TEKS and the research process.
• Participate in active hands-on lessons that they can easily implement into their current program.
• Receive materials that can be easily modified to differentiate instruction.
• Have the opportunity to collaborate with other colleagues.

Inform - Teachers will be informed of what characteristics and attributes students might possess to constitute a good dyslexia referral for testing.

Review - Teachers will review the dyslexia process of referrals, paperwork, and protocol will be addressed and reviewed in detail.

Apply - Teachers will learn what accommodations and modifications students who qualify for services can utilize in the classroom.

By the end of this session, teachers will understand which students in their classrooms are good candidates for dyslexia testing based on primary and secondary characteristics of dyslexia. Teachers will be aware of what documentation is required before testing and the process of compiling the necessary paperwork for referred students. Teachers will learn to utilize appropriate and necessary accommodations in their classroom in order to positively impact student achievement. 

• Attendees will examine first-year college level syllabi in order to understand what skills may need to be strengthened in the high school classroom
• Attendees will learn what first-year students research strengths and weakness are according to college faculty as well as LIS survey data of incoming freshman
• Attendees will pick up practical tips and tools for beginning a conversation about integrating information (aka research skills) into the library classroom

• Participants will walk through all the steps of QTIPS, including creating the foldable as a student would.
• Participants will learn how to present the QTIPS method in a way that creates a space for meaningful "table talk".
• Participants will brainstorm ideas for finding and sharing more rigorus questions that will benefit from the QTIPS method. 

Explore Popplet, Animoto and student-video making (including Blabberize!) to determine their uses for student-created products that indicate learning and mastery of content from literature and curriculum texts.

Develop rubrics as a viable tool to assess both creativity and content of the student-products.

•  Identify how to use Popplet, Animoto, and other applications for student productivity
•  Explore multiple ways to produce content-based and curriculum - driven products
•  Have fun creating on your iPad!